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That Useful Wine Site

  Wine explained, clearly and helpfully, including critic-recommended specimens of each variety.

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The Turbiana Grape


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About Turbiana

(Synonyms: Verdicchio Lugana, Trebbiano di Lugana.)

Background

Map showing the location in Italy of Lake Garda

This grape was long thought to be just another clonal variant of Verdicchio, which see; but relatively recent DNA analyses have shown that it is actually a truly different variety. It was and is grown almost exclusively in the area around Lake Garda in northeast Italy, and the growers there promptly settled on the old nickname of Turbiana as the new official designation of this newly identified variety.

Its general history and background may be presumed to be the same as for the true Verdicchio Bianco grape. And, as Lake Garda is in the Veneto regTrebbiano di Luganaion (at its extreme west end), it is likely the original home (at least in Italy) of the whole Verdicchio shebang, with the movement of Verdicchio Bianco down the the Marche region coming later.

As a wine, Turbiana shares many of the general qualities of Verdicchio Bianco (which is why they were long thought to be just clonal variants of one type). Those qualities are crisp acidity and a lemon overtone to the nose and flavor, often leaving a sort of bitter-almond after-taste (a quality prized by Italians). They display terroir well, and are considered age-worthy.

Noted Italian-wine expert Ian D’Agata, in his excellent book Native Wine Grapes of Italy, states that “Verdicchio is arguably Italy’s greatest white grape variety” (a remark that presumably applies as well now to Turbiana).

Factoid: A new high-speed railway would, if created as now planned, destroy 750 acres of Turbiana vineyards, a substantial fraction of the total acreage for this grape; using a proposed easy alternative route would add an estimated four minutes to travel time. Interesting equation: 4 minutes = 750 acres. Even in Italy, that seems grotesque. As of autumn of 2021, the world still awaits word on whether the alternative will be adopted.

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Some Descriptions of Turbiana Wines

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Some Turbiana Bottlings to Try

(About this list.)

  Wines with a critics’ consensus score of 90:
Ottella "Le Creete" Lugana   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]

  Wines with a critics’ consensus score of 89:
Allegrini "Oasi Mantellina" Lugana   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Bulgarini Lugana   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Ca dei Frati "I Frati" Lugana   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]
Ottella Lugana   [or search Cellar Tracker for this wine]

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This page was last modified on Sunday, 8 December 2024, at 9:46 pm Pacific Time.